


Strange Customs

by ImperiusRex



Category: Heroes For Hire (Comics), Marvel, Marvel (Comics), Marvel 616, Namor the Sub-Mariner (Comics)
Genre: Art, Cats, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Holidays, Kiss under the mistletoe, Kissing, M/M, Party, i was supposed to have this done during the holidays but its late but its done now!, jimor - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-20
Updated: 2020-02-20
Packaged: 2021-02-28 06:08:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,245
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22769077
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImperiusRex/pseuds/ImperiusRex
Summary: “Mistletoe. It’s a surface thing, get caught under there and get a kiss.”“Strange customs you surfacers have. Very strange.”[Namor meets Jim at the Oracle Inc Holiday Party. Set sometime during Heroes for Hire (1997) #8 and #19]
Relationships: Jim Hammond/Namor the Sub-Mariner, Namor the Sub-Mariner & Namorita Prentiss, jennifer walters & namor the sub-mariner
Comments: 3
Kudos: 13





	Strange Customs

Gaudy, blinding, loud, and headache inducing. The annual Oracle holiday party was well underway when Namor arrived hours late to the affair. The banquet room on the top floor of the building had been transformed into a festive spectacle, with lights and a large tree that was just as decorative as the rest of the room. People, ordinary humans who were employed by Oracle, and heroes mingled among each other dressed in their best, even Namorita’s New Warrior friends had put away their costumes. Elegant chandeliers gave the room a soft glow as snow fell gently outside the window that showcased the New York City skyline. The sound of music filled the air, some people were dancing at the center of the room, others chatted around the bar or their tables. Perfume and cologne intermingled in the air; it was so cloyingly thick that Namor almost sneezed. His frown deepened and his already grumpy demeanor grew more irritated. He didn’t understand why he had to come. Namor didn’t believe in this Criss Mass affair. It was just another strange custom of the surface world, and though he spotted Nita enjoying herself, perched on the grand piano that one of her teammates, Speedball was his name if Namor recalled correctly since he usually didn’t pay much attention to people’s names unless it was important, played on the keys. _Correction_ , Robbie banged his clumsy fingers on in an attempt to play. The cracked voice that accompanied the noise, for Namor would not call that music, crooned a song to Nita.

 _“_ _Santa baby, forgot to mention one little thing, a ring  
_ _I don't mean on the phone  
_ _Santa baby, and hurry down the chimney tonight  
_ _Hurry down the chimney tonight!”_

Speedball’s longish blonde hair was thrown back as he tilted his head and belted out the lyrics.

“Well you did it Robbie, you scared off Niels with your caterwauling!” 

Nita laughed, long sparkly jewelry glinted in the light as they dangled on her ears, she looked resplendent in a fashionable green dress. The young man’s expression turned worried as he leapt off the piano bench to look under the piano for this Niels. Namor was grateful that at least the racket stopped and the pressure he felt in his head lessen a tad. He wore a suit for this, he never wears suits for anything. He had put on shoes back in his room before promptly removing and leaving them behind, rolling up the ends of his pant legs to keep them off of his wings. The footwear had been far too tight and though he had to make an appearance at this party that didn’t mean he had to wear shoes, especially since he was paying for everything.

He rubs a temple with one hand while he miserably snatches a flute of bubbly champagne from a passing server and downs it in one gulp. It would never get him drunk but a few more of these should be enough to give him a light buzz that he might endure the rest of this night. He doesn’t know why he has to come but Jim had asked him and he could never say no to Jim. He knows what Chris Mass is, but he never understood it. Unlike the Atlantean holidays in his own kingdom this one made no sense, and Namor didn’t have the patience to understand surfacer traditions. Betty once tried to explain it but after it got to the part about a man in red giving people gifts all around the world in one night with no explanation as to how he did so and how this somehow connected with their religious figure’s date of birth Namor merely shook his head and pointed out how ridiculous it all was. As he saw more of the world he had come to the conclusions that many surface customs were strange.

Namor wanders through the party searching for Jim. He is stopped by Jennifer Walters, in her She-Hulk form, wearing a red backless dress, she has on a santa hat and a warm smile as she lifts Namor up from the ground so that even his feet did not touch it, her strength was as great as his own, and plants a big kiss on one of his cheeks. 

He can smell the alcohol on her breath as he sets him down with a bright red lipstick mark on his face. If this had been anyone else he would have been extremely cross but Jennifer and he used to be teammates and he was slightly bemused.

“This is a great party Namor, you sure do know how to shell out for the good stuff.” 

Jen snorts at her own pun, even though Namor did not. Her face is slightly flushed meaning her green skin tone is a shade darker in her cheeks from the spirits she has been drinking all night. The Heroes for Hire had taken up Oracle as their headquarters and Jim was in charge, She-Hulk was their legal consultant, and they did well for themselves. He walks with Jennifer’s hand in the crook of his arm, slowly weaving around the dance floor towards a spot that is relatively clear of surface dwellers as the New Warriors over by the bar began to sing about a grandmother being killed by a reindeer, whatever that was, why in Neptune’s name would they be happily singing about an elder’s death? If the grandmother had been anything like Tha-Korr then Namor would understand of course.

He gives her a tight smile, “As it was Jim’s team who came up with this I can only say they most certainly were happy to spend my funds on the higher quality drinks.” He signals another server to bring them some more glasses, handing one to Jen, he sips his second glass.

“You know I had quite the crush on you back in our Avenger days.” Her tone is relaxed but her eyes rake him up and down, “Never figured you for the suit type.”

Namor saw her interest, and there might have been a time where he would have welcomed it, but lately any romantic interests he had seemed to be in the direction of another. Another who could light up a room both figuratively and literally, “I will shortly be out of these however I was told this was a black tie event.”

“And where is your black tie?” She purrs as she finishes her drink.

“In the trash.” His reply serious, Namor never knew how to tie those things so in his frustration he had discarded it.

Jenifer chuckles and there was a meowing sound near his feet. He looks down to see a slightly glowing orange cat, the Torch loved cats and unless he had just adopted another one then this wasn’t his, there were multiple cats that ran all over Oracle however they pleased but they didn’t glow. Namor knew all the names of the ones who frequented Oracle’s floors, they came in a multitude of colors, his personal favorite was a calico cat who liked to curl up in his lap whenever he sat down. This one was just as bold, and it rubbed against his legs purring loudly, Namor tucks his ankles wings in tight, often times cats liked to play with the feathers.

“Niels, Robbie’s cat, he brought him to the party tonight and Jim went crazy over him. I think he wanted to take him right out of Robbie’s hands.” Jennifer explains as the cat purrs a bit louder.

"Hmmm." Namor finishes his drink as well and places both of their glasses on a table as they continued their walk, "Have you seen where Jim went? I had hoped to speak with him this evening."

She-Hulk stops them and pulls Namor to take one step to the left as she positions him just right before answering him. “You have a way with animals, though I would have thought catfish to be the kind of cats who liked you.” Jen jokes, she leans forwards and wipes the lipstick from his face, “well if things don't work out between you two, then give me a call.” Niels had followed them and now was tired of being ignored.

“Us two?” Namor says in confusion as he ignores the pinpricks of the cat’s claws as it began to climb up his pants leg and continued its way up his back.

“You and Jim couldn’t be more obvious, if the gentle “come fuck me eyes” Jim gives when you're around doesn’t convince you then I don’t know what will.” Jen says in a matter of fact tone as she leaves him to the mercy of Niels's claws. 

Namor looks sharply at her as she makes her way to the dance floor, was he that obvious? He and Jim had been... something for months now. It was hard because Namor was always on uneven footing, times when he thought for sure Jim felt the same about him that he had felt about Jim but other times Jim just acted like his old friend. They had shared nights together but they weren’t together. He had been hopeful when he had gotten an invite from Jim to this event. However he hadn’t so much as seen one hint of the man he had been thinking about constantly since he got here. The cat made it up his back and draped himself on Namor's shoulders as he watched the room, looking for any hint of the Human Torch. Everyone seemed to be avoiding his area, perhaps his scowling was driving them off, too bad the cat wasn't deterred. Niels happily perched on Namor’s shoulder and rubbed his face against Namor’s cheek. The Sea Prince finally gave in and scooped the cat into his arms, he glares at it but it purrs and tries to lick his nose. He sighs and cradles it. Niels purrs up at him and he is so busy looking down at the him that he doesn't see Jim, but he feels a soft kiss on his cheek, and the scent of fire smoke fills his nose. He is slightly surprised as he looks up but Jim is already leaning back with a smile on his face, his hair slightly aflame and the smell of something burning is in the air, Namor glances upward to see a small greenish plant on fire.

“Mistletoe. It’s a surface thing, get caught under there and get a kiss.”

Jim's voice is soft and doesn't carry beyond them.

“Strange customs you surfacers have. Very strange.”

In the middle of this busy party Namor feels as if its only the two of them, three with the cat, as the noise around him fades and he focuses on the Torch. Jim's hair flames down. He was a handsome man, though he thought he had gotten used to Jim's beard it was still an adjustment. The Torch's arms are behind his back. His eyes burn as bright as the mistletoe and Namor feels a heat in his cheeks.

“Well yes, but it's fun too.”

Jim hands Namor a small wrapped gift and Namor shifts so he is easily carrying Niels and takes the present, he knew of this tradition though he hadn't thought it would occur tonight.

"I did not bring you anything, I had not expected there to be an exchange."

"Well it's-"

Nita pops up out of nowhere and calls out to the still searching Speedball on the other side of the room, “I found him! Niels is fine!” She takes the cat out of Namor's arms and the prince thinks to protest, he had gotten used to weight of him. "Merry Christmas Cuz! And you too Jim!" With a quick peck on the cheek for each of them Nita is off again to return the cat to his owner, she throws a small glance over her shoulder at Jim and Namor barely catches the small nod Jim returns to her. He raises a brow.

"I can send you a gift when I return home."

"You don't have to Namor."

Namor's irritation of being caught in a faux pas among the humans rises and in a grumpy tone says, "Then I cannot accept this." Namor tries to return it to Jim and Jim refuses to take it until he finally snaps, "Dammit Namor why do you make it so hard for people to be nice to you? Just open the damn gift!"

"Fine!" Namor rips the wrapper off and then let's out a soft, _oh_ when he sees what's inside.

Jim crosses his arms and looks down at his shoes, “It’s a shell, a clam shell.”

The Prince stares at it a moment and then clears his throat, “Yes, thank you.”

“Namor.”

“Yes?”

“You don't have to say anything, until you're ready, I just... I wanted to do something that meant something to you, and Nita told me about how giving someone a shell means that in Atlantean and I-"

Namor pulls Jim by the red tie on his neck, and kisses him to shut him up, its slow and lingering and Jim's beard scratches his face. When he pulls back he's pleased to see that this time he's the one who surprised Jim, and he closes his hand around the shell tighter.

"Firebug?"

"Ye- yeah?" Jim's voice is a bit shaky after the kiss and his hair is aflame again.

"I love you too."

**Author's Note:**

> This art was made for me by [Sop](https://twitter.com/SopJustSop). Please do not repost/claim as your own, thank you.
> 
> Comments & Kudos are appreciated!


End file.
